Asian Food Pho Is Growing Among Fast Casual Restaurants

Asian food, particularly pho, is gaining in popularity, especially in the fast casual arena. New and trendy foods always get noticed, and Asian food is leading the way in that area and showing solid growth. For proof, consider these numbers: Technomic profiled 11 fast casual Asian/noodle concepts that saw $2.7 billion in sales from 2,273 units, a 23% sales growth and a 14% unit growth over two years’ time. The increased interest in Asian Food is due primarily to four factors:* Unique flavor profile – Asian foods, especially pho, offer flavor variety across the board with fresh and unique tastes Primarily healthy options – The Asian menu is composed of mostly proteins and vegetables. It’s low fat, gluten-free and heart-healthy Customization – Diners can customize their orders very easily Portability – Asian food is well suited for take out, delivery and catering One Asian food in particular is getting a lot of attention and could grow rapidly, especially as a fast casual dining option. Pho, a Vietnamese soup that is made up of steaming hot broth with rice noodles and vegetables, is suddenly gaining in popularity and restaurants specifically devoted to pho are cropping up more and more. What is